Meadow: Holistic Health for Postpartum Mothers

September 2024-April 2025

Project Overview

In this master's capstone project, I led UX research efforts to design a holistic wellness app supporting low-SES postpartum mothers by centering culturally grounded, community-based features that promote mental wellness, self-advocacy, and accessible care.

This is a year-long Master's Capstone project for Georgia Tech's MSHCI program with the Ubicomp Health and Wellness Lab and mentorship from Grady Trauma Project.

Advised by Dr. Rosa Arriaga

My Role

Lead UX Researcher: Product Research, User Research, User Interviews, Contextual Inquiry, Qualitative Coding, Data Analysis

Team

Margot Lin
Leesan Sun
Swathi Ram

Problem Space

Neurodivergence, encompassing conditions like ADHD and autism, affects over 8.7 million adults in the US. Due to the pandemic, there has been a rapid shift to remote work which is now embraced by over 33% of the workforce. In this shift, Slack has become a widely used workplace platform; however, our initial research indicates Slack does not address the diverse needs and challenges of neurodivergent individuals, preventing a supportive and productive environment for all users.

Postpartum mothers in marginalized communities face serious wellness challenges, but existing systems fail to provide comprehensive and culturally connected care. Around 1 in 7 women experience postpartum depression (PPD), with low-income mothers facing higher risks due to financial strain, limited healthcare access, and inadequate social support. Facing systematic healthcare barriers and gaps in continuity of care, postpartum mothers from low socioeconomic (SES) backgrounds are significantly vulnerable.

To bridge this gap, there is a need for a thoughtfully designed intervention that prioritizes the needs of low SES postpartum mothers.

Research Question: How might we better support the wellness needs of postpartum mothers in socioeconomically vulnerable groups?

Research Approach

To understand and approach this complex problem space and vulnerable population, I designed a research plan to create a foundation of academic research combined with expert perspective and real user voices. As this project focuses on members of a marginalized community, I sought to triangulate insights from multiple sources to build a comprehensive understanding without overburdening vulnerable users.

In this stage, we conducted a literature review, qualitative analysis on Reddit data, subject-matter expert interviews, and a competitive analysis to understand our problem space and users' needs.

Research Method: Literature Review

We analyzed over 60 academic papers focusing on postpartum mental health disparities, socioeconomic determinants of health, and cultural competency in digital health interventions. This comprehensive review established the evidence base for our problem understanding and revealed critical gaps in existing mHealth solutions for marginalized communities. The literature confirmed that while digital interventions show promise, most fail to address cultural barriers and trust issues specific to low-SES populations, highlighting the need for our research approach.

The five following themes were synthesized from this literature:

Socioeconomic Status as a Determinant of Health
Support Systems as a Health Factor
Population Specific Considerations
Existing mHealth Applications
Culturally Competent Research and Design

A critical finding in this review is the impact of the "Superwoman Schema," a cultural framework where Black women feel obligated to project strength and resist vulnerability. Research shows this leads to under-utilization of mental health services during the postpartum period.

Research Method: Reddit Qualitative Analysis

As our target population faces significant barriers to traditional research participation, I analyzed authentic postpartum experiences shared anonymously across major Reddit communities (r/babybumps, r/beyondthebump, r/newparents, r/pregnant). I chose Reddit as it was cited as the most prominent community for mothers in the literature review. This method provided unfiltered insights into the actual language and concerns of postpartum mothers without requiring vulnerable populations to engage directly.

Using inductive coding, I identified four following key themes: importance of doula support, willingness to ask for help, need for self-advocacy tools, and value of peer advice.

Research Method: Subject-Matter Expert Interviews

At this stage, we originally planned to recruit postpartum mothers through a major Atlanta hospital partnership. However, we faced barriers as this population is hard to reach with vulnerable circumstances and competing priorities. We pivoted to semi-structured interviews with two clinician-researchers at the Grady Trauma Project, and a psychologist who leads a digital health startup focused on pediatric mental health in low SES populations.

In these interviews, I sought to understand how we can design for vulnerable populations with cultural nuances and systematic barriers in mind and how we can best leverage technology to provide systems of support. These interviews unearthed the following insights:

"Gift-giving" approach required: Interventions must show immediate benefit (compensation, personalized insights, real-time feedback) rather than making long-term promises to build trust with marginalized communities
Technology should enhance, not replace human providers: Digital solutions need to support remote monitoring and outcome-tracking while maintaining human connection, especially given existing medical mistrust
Cultural relevance must be embedded directly: Solutions must be tailored to unique cultural and economic realities, considering language, accessibility, community norms, and varying receptions to mental health topics
Frame mental health indirectly: Effective conversations should focus on how stress impacts motherhood and daily life rather than directly addressing mental health, due to stigma and cultural barriers
Community-based trust building essential: Utilize peer support mechanisms and community outreach to improve adoption, while maintaining transparency about data collection and use

Research Method: Competitive Analysis

To identify design gaps our digital solution could address, we evaluated existing online postpartum and wellness resources alongside in-person Atlanta-based services against our user needs of supporting identity recovery, reducing parenting stress, fostering self-advocacy, and increasing health knowledge.

I explored existing digital solutions in this space and evaluating leading solution such as Irth, Exhale, and Motherocity. While individual platforms offered valuable features, none provided comprehensive, culturally competent, and financially accessible support specifically designed for low-income postpartum mothers.

I also evaluated Atlanta's in-person resources which revealed additional gaps in culturally competent, accessible postpartum support. While some community organizations provided valuable services, they often lacked comprehensive mental health components or had limited capacity to serve our target demographic consistently.

Key Finding: No existing solution fully addressed the unique intersection of cultural competency, financial accessibility, and comprehensive postpartum support needed by low-SES mothers in Atlanta, validating our integrated approach combining peer support, self-advocacy tools, and accessible health information.

Research Insights Synthesized

Persona Creation
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Synthesizing the research findings on our target user, I created a user persona to ground our findings.

Our persona, Angela, encapsulates the key challenges faced by low SES postpartum mothers and serves as a guiding basis for our ideation and design moving forward.

Summary of Findings

I synthesized our research findings into key user needs and motivations with corresponding, actionable design requirements.

Moving into ideation, this synthesis guided us to encourage self-advocacy through awareness and communication, increase access to personalized and actionable health information, and less mental load and parenting burdens through support and guidance.

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Design Ideation & Implications

We conducted brainstorming sessions focusing on behavioral interventions, self-advocacy tools, and community support mechanisms.

Using our research as a foundation, we generated feature concepts through Crazy 8s exercises, evaluating each for feasibility, alignment with user needs, and potential for sustained engagement.
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In this process, we translated our design requirements from research into design implications to ensure our users' needs are met and we directly address barriers identified in our research.

Design Solution: Three-Flow Concept

Based on our research synthesis, we translated user needs into a cohesive design concept centered on three interconnected flows. Rather than creating isolated features, we structured our solution around the natural progression of postpartum needs: emotional awareness, practical support, and knowledge access.

Home

Mood Flow

Task Flow

Doula Flow

Flow Architecture:

Mood Flow (Emotional Awareness & Community Connection): Addresses the "Superwoman Schema" challenge through guided emotional check-ins with cognitive reframing techniques. The community component transforms personal experiences into shared support via anonymous story-sharing, creating connection without full vulnerability. This directly responds to research findings about isolation and the key need for peer validation.

Task Flow (Support Coordination & Mental Load Reduction): Tackles reluctance to ask for help by gamifying support requests and enabling low-effort delegation to partners and community. Research revealed that loved ones want to help but don't know how just as mothers often don't know how to ask for help. This flow transforms overwhelming responsibilities into manageable, shareable tasks while maintaining user autonomy.

Doula Flow (Accessible Healthcare Guidance): Democratizes access to culturally competent healthcare information through a virtual doula and structured knowledge base. Addresses research-identified strength of doula care while providing the credible, bite-sized information that SME interviews emphasized as crucial for building trust with marginalized communities.

Concept Validation Testing & Iteration

User Testing Approach: We partnered with an Atlanta-based NGO specializing in pregnancy and childbirth education for low SES mothers to recruit participants, supplemented by convenience sampling to reach our target of 8 participants. Given the vulnerable nature of postpartum experiences, I conducted persona-based situational interviews to prioritize user comfort while gathering authentic feedback.

In these interviews, I evaluated our prototype against five utility criteria based on the design requirements: relevance and comprehensiveness of information, support for self-advocacy, community and peer support, task and goal management, and lessening of mental load.

Key Insights & Design Iteration:
Based on the interview data, I synthesized key patterns and needs that emerged and collaborated with my team to implement high-impact changes that best serve our users. Key quotes and iterations highlighted below:

"I need to see progress over time": Participants want visual tracking functionality
Iteration: Added mood tracker with calendar view for pattern recognition
"I wish I could send this to multiple people at once": Task delegation felt too limited
‍Iteration: Enabled multi-contact messaging for simultaneous task sharing
"Now what do I do with this information?": Reflection felt incomplete without actionable next steps
‍Iteration: Added post-reflection action items with personalized recommendations
"This could help me talk to my doctor": Need for self-advocacy tools confirmed
‍Iteration: Integrated perinatal mental health discussion tool for provider conversations
"I'm always everywhere. It should say it's time to do this ": Engagement call around consistent use
‍Iteration: Added daily notification system to encourage regular check-ins

Final Design Solution

As our final design iteration, we created Meadow: Holistic Health for Postpartum Mothers. Meadow is a holistic health app that supports postpartum mothers through culturally grounded digital interventions addressing emotional awareness, community connection, and healthcare advocacy. Meadow meets mothers where they are as a tool to fill critical gaps in postpartum support and honoring the lived experiences of low SES mothers.

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Mood Flow: Mindful Check-in & Community Garden

Purpose: Address mental health stigma and support emotional self-awareness

‍Key Features:

Mindful Check-in: Guided emotional tracking with cognitive reframing and pattern recognition
Calendar Visualization: Historical mood tracking for healthcare provider conversations
Community Garden: Anonymous story-sharing transformed into interactive dandelions
Action Items: Personalized recommendations generated from reflection responses

Research Impact: Addresses the "Superwoman Schema" by facilitating emotional self-awareness and pattern recognition for mental health advocacy while fostering belonging and peer support through shared experiences.

Task Flow: Care Coordinator & Partner Integration

Purpose: Reduce mental load through community engagement and support delegation

‍Key Features:

Task Breakdown: Overwhelming responsibilities divided into manageable, shareable steps
Multi-Contact Delegation: Simultaneous task sharing with multiple support system members
Partner Integration: Collaborative system with gentle communication prompts
Wish Creation: Transforms help-seeking into positive, actionable requests

Research Impact: Reduces barriers to ask for help through low-effort, actionable support requests and strengthens family and community relationships through structured collaboration.

Doula Flow: Knowledge Base & Virtual Support

Purpose: Democratize access to culturally relevant healthcare guidance and supports self-advocacy

‍Key Features:

Virtual Doula: Conversational assistant providing personalized, bite-sized information
Categorized Knowledge Hub: Verified articles on Recovery & Healing, Mental Health, Baby Care, and Self-Care
Cultural Relevance: Content specifically addressing needs of low-income, marginilized mothers
Local Resource Integration: Easy access to community-based support services

Research Impact: Creates key presence of doula care by providing virtual support and tools for self-advocacy while maintaining cultural competency and expert credibility.

Key Takeaways

I an incredibly grateful for my team and our mentor, Dr. Arriaga, for creating this opportunity to research and design in this important space and with this population. This project faced many pivots and changes, but throughout it all, we were dedicated to creating a system of wellness that could benefit not only our target users but also anyone in the postpartum stage. Here's what I learned:

Access takes trust and time: Working with vulnerable populations taught me that doing meaningful research in this space requires authentic community partnerships and relationship-building, not just recruitment strategies.
Cultural Sensitivity: This project reinforced the importance of understanding my own positionality and actively considering how to embed culturally competent design that is not only research-backed but also represents the lived experiences of marginalized communities.
Framing mental health: Through conversations with SME and our users, I learned how addressing emotional wellness should focus on how stress impacts motherhood and daily life rather than directly addressing mental health, due to stigma and cultural barriers.

This project wrapped up my time at Georgia Tech's MSHCI program but I hope to continue this work with my team in the future. If you've reached the end of this page and want to talk more about this project, maternal wellness, or anything in this space, please reach out!